Coyote: A Trickster Tale From the American Southwest

Coyote: A Trickster Tale From the American Southwest

Written and Illustrated by: Gerald McDermott

Elementary Grades

"Coyote is a big, bumbling, interfering copycat; he's rude, boastful, vain, and always in trouble. The storytelling is simple, with the casual, direct tone and satisfying repetition of the oral tradition ("He was going along, following his nose. He had a nose for trouble . . . Coyote was always in trouble"). The art combines traditional geometric design with the jagged figure of Coyote, all exaggerated pointed shapes in brilliant blue with a lolling red tongue. He cavorts against a background of warm rust-brown desert; he tries to fly with the beautifully synchronized black-and-purple crows who circle the canyon and soar in the sky. Of course, he falls ignominiously into the dust. And to this day, "He has a nose for trouble. He always finds it." This is great for storytelling: kids will love the slapstick action and the bright, comic art about this gawky fool. As McDermott points out in the lively source note, Coyote is very foolish--and very human."

Booklist Review